CLASS 4A SECTIONAL 17
GARY WEST (7-2) AT HOBART (6-3)
GAME TIME: 7 p.m. CDT, The Brickyard.
COACHES: Alger Boswell, 7-2 in first season at Gary West. Craig Osika, 43-16 in fifth season at Hobart.
LAST CONTEST: Gary West beat Indianapolis Crispus Attucks, 42-0. Hobart beat Munster, 35-0.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Hobart, 70-0, on October 30, 2020 in Class 4A sectional semifinals.
UP NEXT: Gary West would host East Chicago Central (2-7) or travel to Highland (3-6) for semifinal. Hobart goes to Highland or East Chicago Central.
TOP PERFORMERS: Camajay Griffin-Terrell ran 21 times for 181 yards with four touchdowns for the Cougars against Crispus Attucks. Trey Gibson scampered 18 times for 157 yards with three scores against Munster.
COACHES’ CORNER: “The Cougars are excited for the 2022 state tournament. Our boys have worked hard and are excited for the challenge. Hobart is a great program, and recently made a trip to the state finals. We look forward to seeing where we stand in our first season together.” – Gary West’s Alger Boswell.
“Gary West Side has great team speed and a tremendous run game. We must get 11 hats to the ball to contain their run game. That will be emphasized all week in practice. Offensively, we are going to have to be able to complete passes early in the game to loosen up the box for us to get our run game established. We must be disciplined and limit penalties and turnovers to succeed in the playoffs.” – Hobart’s Craig Osika.
CLASS 4A SECTIONAL 21
LEBANON (6-3) AT MOORESVILLE (7-2)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Mooresville Field.
COACHES: Jeff Smock, 34-26 in sixth season at Lebanon. Mike Gillin, 51-21 in sixth season at Mooresville, 356-138 in 44th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Lebanon lost to Western Boone, 30-14. Mooresville beat Perry Meridian, 37-22.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Mooresville, 35-7, on August 20, 2021.
UP NEXT: Lebanon hosts Brebeuf Jesuit (5-3) or Northview (6-3) in semifinal round. Mooresville goes to Brebeuf Jesuit or hosts Northview.
TOP PERFORMERS: Landon Fouts went 9-of-19 for 103 yards with two touchdowns for the Tigers against No. 7 (Class 3A) Western Boone. Landon Clements carried the ball 18 times for 109 yards with two scores for the No. 8 Pioneers against Perry Meridian.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Mooresville is a really good football team. Their quarterback (Nick Patterson) makes things difficult for you in making decisions on what to try to ‘shutdown’. Defensively, they always pursue well to the ball while playing a physical brand of football. In order for us to win on Friday, we believe that we need to be disciplined on both sides of the ball in limiting penalties and taking care of the ball offensively. The success of the running game on both sides of the ball will be important for both teams.” – Lebanon’s Jeff Smock.
“We need to step it up on all three phases of the game, offense, defense, and special teams…Lebanon is very big and physical up front, so our offensive line and defensive line will need to play physical and smart. We have to get (quarterback) Nick Patterson involved early and often. No turnovers and hopefully, we can create a few on defense. I expect a hard-fought game from start to finish. Our kicker, Kenny Curry, could be a huge factor as well.” – Mooresville’s Mike Gillin.
CLASS 4A SECTIONAL 22
NEW PALESTINE (9-0) AT MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) (6-3)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Dellen Field at Hancock Health Stadium.
COACHES: Kyle Ralph, 113-10 in 10th season at New Palestine. Vince Lidy, 20-4 in second season at Mount Vernon.
LAST CONTEST: New Palestine beat Delta, 47-7. Mount Vernon beat Yorktown, 63-45.
PREVIOUS MEETING: New Palestine, 42-6, on September 9, 2022.
UP NEXT: New Palestine hosts Greenfield-Central (6-3) or travels to Pendleton Heights (5-4) for semifinal. Mount Vernon goes to Greenfield-Central or Pendleton Heights.
TOP PERFORMERS: Blaine Nunnally caught nine passes for 135 yards with a touchdown for the top-ranked Dragons against Delta. Luke Ertel went 15-of-29 for 317 yards with five scores for the defending state champion Marauders against Yorktown.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We need to not turn the football back over to a very explosive offense. We also need to win on special teams and control the line of scrimmage.” – New Palestine’s Kyle Ralph.
“We have to match the physicality of New Palestine for four quarters in all three phases of the game. We have to play a near perfect game in limiting any self-inflicted errors such as penalties, missed alignments, or turnovers caused by our own lack of focus. We have to handle the good and bad things that will occur during this game. New Palestine will make plays on both offense and defense, but we have to make plays as well and deal with the highs and lows and make this a four-quarter game. The Marauders have to establish the presence of a running game this time around. With that, we must account for the outstanding defensive players of New Palestine. We must block and be physical at the point of attack on numbers 52 (Michael Thacker), 70 (Ian Moore), 20 (Eli Hook), 3 (Eian Roudebush), and 2 (AJ Reierson). Those players make plays and make up a very good front six for the Dragons. The offense needs to have success on first and second down this time around as well. In order to move the ball and score points, our offensive skill players are going to have to make plays when their number is called upon. We have to be able to make New Palestine defend every square inch of turn when we are on offense. We cannot become dependent on just one player or one aspect of our offensive game plan. The Marauder defense will have to play at a high level the entire game to stop the juggernaut that is the New Palestine offense. We have to find a way to minimize their ground game and somehow keep No. 4 (Grayson Thomas) around 100 yards rushing. We have to somehow find a way to get stops and put their offense in second or third and long more than we did the first time we played. Our defense did a decent job of bending early in the first game, but then we gave up big plays and quick scores which opened the floodgates to them running away with the score and game in our first meeting. In terms of tackling, we must hit and wrap up with the first player to the ball and use our speed to rally and gang tackle to get the ball carrier on the ground. We also have to contain the quarterback (Daniel Tippit IV) with pressure and not let him scramble and use his legs to extend plays by running down the field or taking open shots by throwing the ball down the field. We also must have 100 percent snap and kick operation this time around. New Palestine does a great job on winning and establishing short fields with great special teams play. We have to do a great job on covering kickoff and punt due to the fact that number 22 (Isaiah Thacker), 4 (Thomas), 17 (Kyler Kropp) are talented return players that can score from anywhere on the field. At the end of the night, we cannot give up any field position or lose points when comparing the kicking game of both teams come Saturday morning.” – Mount Vernon’s (Fortville) Vince Lidy.
CLASS 3A SECTIONAL 28
HAMILTON HEIGHTS (7-2) AT MACONAQUAH (6-3)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Maconaquah Field.
COACHES: Jon Kirschner, 21-28 in fifth season at Hamilton Heights. Tyler Campbell, 8-9 in second season at Maconaquah, 12-12 in third season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Hamilton Heights beat Lafayette Central Catholic, 41-21. Maconaquah lost to Rochester, 38-14.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Hamilton Heights, 22-8, on September 6, 2014.
UP NEXT: Hamilton Heights entertains Indianapolis Bishop Chatard (5-4) or Northwestern (2-7) for semifinal. Maconaquah goes to Bishop Chatard or hosts Northwestern.
TOP PERFORMERS: Fuddy Kile managed nine catches for 136 yards with two touchdowns for the Braves against No. 7 (Class 2A) Rochester. Trey Ehman raced 27 times for 225 yards with two scores for the Huskies against No. 9 (Class 2A) Lafayette Central Catholic.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We must stay disciplined in the secondary in our pass coverages. They are a pass heavy team with multiple talented receivers. The front seven must contain an elusive athletic quarterback (Braxton Birner) who has a strong arm and great vision. On the offensive side of the ball, we must establish the run game early and discipline in the fundamentals of the game for four quarters is a must.” – Hamilton Heights’ Jon Kirschner.
“Friday’s game will be a tough one. Hamilton Heights has had a great year, and their kids play very hard. Playing against us, they will have an advantage in size and experience. To win, we must execute at a high level and avoid self-inflicted errors. Above all else, we must play extremely hard for 48 minutes. Offensively, we must have a very sound protection plan as their defensive line and linebackers can cause issues against most offensive lines. In our run game, we have to use their personnel’s strengths against them. They fire off the ball hard, but this opens them up to being down blocked as they struggle to redirect and cross-face on well-executed down blocks. We will not have the size or strength up front to block them one-on-one without angles. In the passing game, they play relatively soft coverage, so we want to use quick throws against their secondary. Some of their alignments allow free vertical releases to their safeties, so if we can protect long enough, this opens up some big play opportunities in our passing game. Their offense does a very good job staying balanced and finding ways to run the football. Defensively, we must tackle efficiently and block destruct well, especially in the box, to keep them off-schedule. They have a big, physical offensive line blocking for a hard-running running back (Trey Ehman). Their passing game seems to be more vertically focused, so our defensive line must do a good job forcing the quarterback to throw before he’s ready. Our defensive backs cannot fall asleep and allow routes to get behind them. They also do a good job in their passing game of asking linebackers to cover horizontally, so our linebackers must rise to this task. If we can execute all of these things, we give ourselves the best chance to be successful.” – Maconaquah’s Tyler Campbell.
CLASS 3A SECTIONAL 28
GUERIN CATHOLIC (5-4) AT OAK HILL (9-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Oak Hill Field.
COACHES: Tom Dilley, 54-41 in ninth season at Guerin Catholic, 134-118 in 23rd season overall. Bud Ozmun, 154-101 in 24th season at Oak Hill.
LAST CONTEST: Guerin Catholic beat Culver Academy, 42-0. Oak Hill beat Elwood, 56-0.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Have never met on the gridiron before.
UP NEXT: Guerin Catholic hosts Peru (3-6) or travels to Tippecanoe Valley (8-1) in semifinal. Oak Hill plays at Tippecanoe Valley or Peru.
TOP PERFORMERS: Justin Zdobylak tallied 10 rushes for 111 yards with two touchdowns for the Golden Eagles against Culver Academy. Colin Middlesworth returned an interception for a score for the No. 3 Golden Eagles against Elwood.
COACHES’ CORNER: “To be successful against a very good undefeated Oak Hill team, we will need to play our best. We must be able to control the line of scrimmage with our offensive line and take advantage of our offensive opportunities. Our defense must find a way to limit their outstanding rushing attack without allowing big plays in the passing game. Ball security will be critical, and we must execute in the kicking game to try to get an edge as well as play sound situational football.” – Guerin Catholic’s Tom Dilley.
“Guerin Catholic will be the best team we will have faced this season. They are big, athletic, and deep, plus very well-coached. To come away with the win, we’ll need to play mistake-free football, control the line of scrimmage, and not give up the big play. Should be a great first round match up.” – Oak Hill’s Bud Ozmun.
CLASS 3A SECTIONAL 32
NORTH HARRISON (7-2) AT SOUTHRIDGE (8-1)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Raider Field.
COACHES: Mark Williamson, 67-48 in 11th season at North Harrison, 83-66 in 14th season overall. Scott Buening, 93-29 in 10th season at Southridge, 105-57 in 14th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: North Harrison beat Providence, 21-14. Southridge beat Forest Park, 42-14.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Southridge, 62-20, on November 1, 2019 in Class 3A sectional semifinals.
UP NEXT: North Harrison entertains Scottsburg (3-6) or Corydon Central (3-6) for semifinal. Southridge goes to Scottsburg or hosts Corydon Central.
TOP PERFORMERS: Sawyer Wetzel rumbled 34 times for 173 yards with a touchdown for the Cougars against Providence. Hudson Allen was 6-of-7 for 224 yards with three scores for the No. 10 Raiders against Forest Park.
COACHES’ CORNER: “North Harrison will provide us with our biggest test of the season in regards to a team that wants to play power football and just come downhill right at a defense. They are much bigger than we are up front and use a lot of variations in formations to get their tailback (Sawyer Wetzel) the football who is very talented and a load to bring down. In addition, they have a 6-foot-5 receiver (Kaleb Kellems) with tremendous ball skills which is something they haven’t had when we have played them in the past. It’s going to be important that we win on first down and get them in positions where they need to throw the football, but that is not easy to do. Offensively, a good start will be key to try and put some scoreboard pressure on them and not allow them to continue to pound away and work time off the clock.” – Southridge’s Scott Buening.
CLASS 2A SECTIONAL 34
ROCHESTER (8-1) AT SEEGER (7-2)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Patriot Field.
COACHES: Ron Shaffer, 13-4 in second season at Rochester. T.J. Ragan, 7-2 in first season at Seeger.
LAST CONTEST: Rochester beat Maconaquah, 38-14. Seeger beat North Vermillion, 33-18.
PREVIOUS MEETING: First meeting on the football field.
UP NEXT: Rochester hosts Winamac (2-7) or Lafayette Central Catholic (6-3) in semifinals. Seeger travels to Winamac or hosts Lafayette Central Catholic.
TOP PERFORMERS: Brant Beck rambled 13 times for 133 yards with two scores for the No. 7 Zebras against Maconaquah. Peyton Chinn compiled 25 carries for 164 yards with three touchdowns for the Patriots against North Vermillion.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Seeger presents problems for us upfront. They are big and strong through the middle of their defense. We will need to play very physical on the line of scrimmage to have a chance at moving the ball. They also have fast and physical linebackers that blitz often and read their keys well. Walling them off on our traps, counters, and belly will be imperative for our offense to have success. Defensively, the same challenges apply. Peyton Chinn (No. 41) runs the ball hard and has great speed. His fullback, Hunter Thomas (No. 7) is a tall athletic runner and lead blocker. We must stop the run at the line of scrimmage. If those two get loose, it will be a long night. They also have a tremendous quarterback in Noah Stephen (No. 12). He has a strong arm and is accurate with his throws to Rayce Carr (No. 2), Landon Walker (No. 10), and Hunter Frodge (No. 5). We will need to be disciplined in the back end of our defense to limit the Patriots’ big play ability.” – Rochester’s Ron Shaffer.
“Rochester is a well-coached team, which is great at what they do, and their kids play hard. Our preparation this week will focus on us getting better at us, being fundamentally sound, and pursuing our goals of becoming a family, team, and championship program. If we do these things, we give ourselves a chance to beat a very good team.” – Seeger’s T.J. Ragan.
CLASS 2A SECTIONAL 37
LINTON-STOCKTON (9-0) AT SOUTH VERMILLION (7-2)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Wildcat Stadium.
COACHES: Brian Oliver, 100-22 in 10th season at Linton-Stockton. Greg Barrett, 35-25 in sixth season at South Vermillion, 92-59 in 14th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Linton-Stockton beat South Putnam, 35-10. South Vermillion beat Attica, 40-0.
PREVIOUS MEETING: First time playing on the gridiron.
UP NEXT: Linton-Stockton hosts Southmont (6-3) or plays at North Knox (4-5) in semifinal. South Vermillion goes to North Knox or Southmont.
TOP PERFORMERS: Hunter Johns came up with 14 carries for 71 yards with a touchdown and caught two passes for 27 yards with another score for the top-ranked Miners against No. 10 (Class 1A) South Putnam. Dalton Payton racked up four rushes for 123 yards with three touchdowns for the Wildcats against Attica.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We’re very impressed with Coach Barrett’s team. They have great size up front and his running back (Dalton Payton) is very athletic. In order for us to win this game, we have to take care of the football. Turnovers are huge in big games. We also need to rely on our speed to overcome their size advantage and take advantage of mistakes they might make.” – Linton-Stockton’s Brian Oliver.
“We need to play mistake free, physical, smart, and disciplined to give ourselves a chance to compete. This, as you know, is a very good team in all facets of the game. They’re very tough, physical, and have athleticism all over the field.” – South Vermillion’s Greg Barrett.
CLASS 1A SECTIONAL 46
NORTH DECATUR (9-0) AT TRI (8-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Gipe Field.
COACHES: Steve Stirn, 61-29 in eighth season at North Decatur, 148-78 in 20th season overall. Andrew Totheroh, 45-32 in seventh season at Tri.
LAST CONTEST: North Decatur beat Wes-Del, 51-0. Tri beat Union County, 35-7.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Tri, 20-14, on November 5, 2021 in Class 1A sectional final.
UP NEXT: North Decatur hosts South Decatur (5-4) or Milan (4-5) in semifinal. Tri travels to South Decatur or entertains Milan.
TOP PERFORMERS: Reid Messer registered six carries for 115 yards with three touchdowns for the No. 3 Chargers against Wes-Del. Gary Paull recorded 17 rushes for 147 yards for the No. 7 Titans against Union City.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Obviously this is a big game. Both teams have had great seasons. Following last year’s game, where they knocked us out of the tournament, we are very motivated to play well. We must contain their diverse run game. We must prevent big plays and win the conversion downs. Offensively, we want to start well and establish a balanced attack.” – North Decatur’s Steve Stirn.
“We’re two teams that know one another very well. We know what they want to do on both sides of the ball, just like they know what we do. Honestly, I see Friday night’s game coming down to small things, field position, who makes the most plays, who makes the less amount of mistakes, and who can control the game the longest. I think it’ll be an exciting contest and whoever can accomplish those details I listed earlier I think wins the game and advances to the second round.” – Tri’s Andrew Totheroh.
CLASS 1A SECTIONAL 47
SOUTH PUTNAM (7-2) AT INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (9-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Lutheran Field.
COACHES: Chuck Sorrell, 32-12 in fourth season at South Putnam, 36-38 in seventh season overall. Dave Pasch, 132-53 in 15th season at Lutheran, 197-110 in 26th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: South Putnam lost to Linton-Stockton, 35-10. Lutheran beat Traders Point Christian, 62-8.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Lutheran, 36-20, on November 9, 2018 in Class 1A regional final.
UP NEXT: South Putnam entertains Riverton Parke (7-2) or goes to North Central (Farmersburg) (1-7) for semifinal. Lutheran plays at Riverton Parke or North Central (Farmersburg).
TOP PERFORMERS: Luke Switzer had an eight-yard run for a score for the No. 10 Eagles against No. 1 (Class 2A) Linton-Stockton. Cur’Brian Shelby hauled in three receptions for 120 yards with two touchdowns and ran four times for 84 yards with two scores for the top-ranked and defending state champion Saints against Traders Point Christian.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We have to be prepared in all three phases of the game. Lutheran does everything really well. Their offense is one of best in state. Their 3-3 stack defense is fundamentally sound, and they run a lot of different extra-point plays. We have been focused on doing what we do and not worried about them, beating the No. 1 team in the state. We have to establish our screen and run game with Luke Switzer. Wyatt Mullin must also be able to make throws to our receivers (Wyatt Switzer, Peyton Crickmore, and Fisher Jones). Defensively, we must play our assignments and gaps. We need to stop their inside zone game and get pressure on the quarterback to force bad throws. Junior all-state Aiden Beadles leads the state in tackles, so he must play really well.” – South Putnam’s Chuck Sorrell.
“South Putnam is well-coached and disciplined with a load of talented players. We have to match them with an ability to avoid mistakes and have great mental preparedness and awareness. South Putnam has tremendous team speed in all of the skilled positions. They are big and physical on the interior, and they present a fast physical defense that attacks. We will have to execute the game plan to have success in all three phases of the football game.” – Indianapolis Lutheran’s Dave Pasch.
